


Worth It

by pyropinkfish



Category: Game of Thrones (TV), Game of Thrones (Video Game 2014)
Genre: F/M, commission, fixed it ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-27
Updated: 2016-07-27
Packaged: 2018-07-27 03:10:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7601134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pyropinkfish/pseuds/pyropinkfish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It-runs-in-the-fandom commissioned me to write a Mira/Tom fanfic. I preface this with having never seen or watched anything about GOT before I tackled this project! Nonetheless I had fun and hope I did it justice. </p><p>--</p><p>Mira couldn’t stop the blush spreading over her cheeks when she thought back to the time Sera saw them together. How they were hiding a murder and yet Sera thought it was as simple as an affair! If only they <i>could</i> have such a domestic life instead of the lies and hiding.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Worth It

**Author's Note:**

> Aye lmfao

If it was death or a life condemned to Lord Morgryn, well, Mira had no plans to be locked away for the rest of her life. That defiance was precisely how she winded up quite literally on the chopping block, sinking to her knees at the prompting of a rough shove at the hands of the executioner. Her eyes looked up to the sky, catching a last glimpse of the Red Keep; it was safer than looking out on the crowd of faces, than seeing Sera and Tom…Tom, where was he? The guards on either side of Mira grunted at her to stay put when she lifted her head from the executioner’s block, scanning the crowd for the coal boy.

_He’d said he had my back, but I suppose that only applied in life._

Mira took a slow breath, and wondered if perhaps the fear would never find its way into her heart before it was all over. Even without it her lip quivered, and she bit down on it as she leaned forward again, resting her cheek against the wood and waiting for the impact. A final prayer for a clean cut was all she held in her mind, eyes closed.

But the blow never came. There was instead a loud yell, a commotion off to her left, and Mira’s eyes shot open as she lifted her head again, sitting back on her heels to look around. The sound of screaming and horses trampling through the courtyard startled Mira into action. As the guards around her began to panic, the townspeople previously cheering her death were now shouting in horror as a dozen of the kingdom’s horses trampled through them. 

The guards at Mira’s sides rushed down from the execution block to steady the horses, but it looked like every horse from the nearby stable was rushing towards the crowd in all directions. The guards couldn’t possibly keep the commotion down from the panicked citizens running. With horses and people and guards rushing around, Mira saw her chance. 

She stood up straight, swinging her foot out to kick the executioner’s knee out who had stayed with her when her guards ran. The man screamed, falling forward as he reached his arms out to grab her. But Mira was quicker, fueled by fear and determination to escape. She didn’t use the stairs where another guard was rushing towards her, but instead she looked to the edge of the block. Time was running thin and her only option was clear. 

She had to jump off the block and hope she didn’t break her ankle or fall into the path of a horse. Being trampled to death was a fate worse than beheading in her opinion. 

And so she jumped, grateful her hands had been bound in front of her rather than behind as she took off from the block. There was nothing at all graceful in the way she stumbled, struggling to regain her balance as she focused on planting her feet, one in front of the other. She didn’t listen to the shouts, or the guards, she simply focused on the path in front of her, ignoring the burn in her lungs as she sprinted. Mira focused on simple steps, reciting them to herself in her mind: head down, run fast, dodge the guards and horses, get away.

Her legs ached in protest already from the landing, but she kept her eyes towards the barn. There would be the palace wall behind it, with a door to the outside forest where they transported the horses. If she could make it there, outside of the wall, she would be home free. She could go where Tom instructed her to, there would be sanctuary there for her. Tom said so--

_Tom._

That’s when she saw him. That dirt-smeared face with wide eyes waving towards her. She could feel her lips stretch into a hopeful smile; it was amazing, how this boy could inspire so much hope in her. Mira ran towards him, dodging to the left when a horse came bolting past, knocking out a man behind her. 

There was so much happening, so much movement going on, that she kept her eyes on Tom. He offered clarity. 

He had to have been the one to let the horses out. How he managed to convince the stable boys to do so was beyond her, but she couldn’t think about that now. She had to follow his instructions. He was pointing in a direction and she ran for it, knowing in her heart he was going to meet up with her outside the wall. She couldn’t tell how she knew it, but the look they shared, the desperation in his pointing indicated he had a plan, and she trusted his judgement. After how far he had gotten her, she had to.

Mira held onto that certainty that she would see Tom again on the other side, grateful for the chaos in the stables as she ducked and weaved through the grounds. The door was unguarded, all hands on deck as they tried to contain the few horses still in their stalls. Mira didn’t pause to think about the motion as she struggled to undo the heavy latches on the door, pushing it open and taking her first steps into freedom, outside of the walls. 

She never slowed her pace, not even after she hit the tree line, when the rough thicket cut against her ankles as her skirt flew up around her, catching the wind as she ran. The pounding in her ears was the loudest sound she could recognize, until she realized it was only so because she was out of range of the guards now. Her chest heaved with every breath, oh how she longed to be rid of her corset, and that damned skirt. Mira dropped to her knees, the adrenaline giving way to exhaustion as she chose to forgo class for comfort, resting against a tree trunk and paying no mind to the mud underneath her.

A sharp rock served well to saw through the ropes, her wrists rubbed raw. Mira was sure she was a sight, clothes torn and skin scratched and dirtied from her escape. But even without the thrill of the chase, she found herself smiling as she took in a sharp breath, pushing it out slowly and evenly. She was alive. Free and alive and soon to be far, far away from King’s Landing, no matter what it took. Afterall, if she could escape the executioner’s block, who could stop her from making it to the River Gate, just like Tom had told her-.right. Tom.

Had he been caught, had he sacrificed himself to aid in her escape? Mira felt a sharp pang of guilt; in taking the block she had spared him, if he had been captured for the sake of her freedom…

A rustling in the brush caught her attention, and she clamped a hand over her mouth to keep back a gasp. If a guard were to find her now, after everything, she may very well end up with another count of murder on her record. At least that was the logic Mira stood by as she took up a sharp stone, feeling it cut into her palm as she slowly rose to her feet, trying to peek around the tree.

“Lady Mira?”

The pounding in her ears, the soreness in her throat, she almost didn’t register the face of a friend at first. 

The rock slipped from her hand, her eyebrows knitted together before the worry melted from her face into a look of genuine relief. She slumped back against the tree, letting out a long sigh. Though they weren’t in the clear yet, she could relax knowing Tom was okay. He had made it with her, and she had made it because of him. 

“Tom! You frightened me, I thought you were a guard, I thought...I thought you’d been captured!” Mira laughed, turning to cough as the soreness of running caught up with her lungs. She caught a glimpse of Tom’s face, noticing it turn red under the soot, and a warm smile crept onto her lips.

He shyly stepped back, rubbing the side of his neck as he looked down, a hint of a smile tugging at his own lips. He knew to expect to see her to disheveled, but he didn’t realize she would look so beautiful after her escape. Was he staring too long? Was it improper of him to watch her clutch her chest to catch her breath? He wanted so desperately to share some of his with her.

“You’re free now, Lady Mira. I couldn’t simply leave you to die, we both had a hand in the crime. And it is entirely unbecoming for a lady to die in such a way, and-” he fumbled with words, embarrassment on his face, hoping she would stop him before he became too annoying. Oh, it was easier to just be quiet, say “yes ma’am” or “no sir” but to talk to a lady like Mira? He could blame the thumping of his heart on running, but he knew the truth. 

Lucky for Tom, she reached out to him, her fingers wrapping around his dirty shirt. He knew what was happening, but his mind and heart were racing, even as she laughed his concerns away and pressed her lips to his in a sloppy kiss. It lacked finesse, but neither were experienced enough to care; after all it was the emotion behind it. The heat and the way her lips trembled as she still shook from adrenaline, how she did the work in moving their mouths together because he stood there, eyes trained on her brow, and his arms at his side, eager to touch her waist, but too cautious to overstep his boundaries. 

She pulled back too soon, and he was left flustered and nervously looking anywhere but her pretty smile. 

“L-Lady Mira, I-” 

“Thank you, Tom. You saved my life, I can never repay that,” Mira said as Tom fidgeted with his hands. His hands were so dirty, how could he even think about touching her with them anyway? 

“I would never ask you to. I told you I would watch your back, Lady Mira, that I would keep you safe,” Tom responded, finally looking up to meet her face. He was glad to see the heat in her cheeks as well, but he chalked it up to overexertion from running rather than embarrassment. Mira couldn’t possibly care for him to the same degree, she was just grateful, taking pity on him is all. When all is said and done, he is still nothing but a coal boy who helped a lady out, as was his duty. 

Mira laughed, a raw, uncontained laugh as she gestured down as her tattered skirt, stained with mud much like the rest of her. “I think you may call me Mira now, I hardly look the part of a lady.”

Tom awkwardly shuffled and gave a small smile “Just Mira, then.”

Mira returned the smile, before leaning back against the tree with a slow breath, giving him a quick glance before sliding down again. “You’ll pardon me if I sit? Join me, please, I can’t imagine your escape was any less exhausting than my own.” 

Tom bit the inside of his cheek, looking at her and then at the spot next to her on the ground that she indicated for him. They couldn’t stop for long, not with guards looking for them, but Tom figured the two of them had more than earned a short break to catch their breath before they needed to hurry along, and so he sat. At first he kept a polite distance between them, sitting with his legs crossed away from the tree trunk, but a small pout on Mira’s lips had him cautiously scooting closer, looking between her and the spot directly next to her for confirmation. He always lived with clear instructions- do this, don’t do that, go there, come here- and the uncertainty of how Mira felt about him, whether it was just general politeness or something more, made Tom’s stomach twist. 

But Mira did like him, and while she knew she would have to spell it out at some point, the thought of admitting to her feelings was terrifying. So much had happened to her within the last few months that to really sit down, to reflect on her own emotions and personal affairs outside of her family and service to Lady Margeary was a lot to think on. It was baffling to her to even realize Tom had been just as invested, but for entirely different reasons. Mira wanted to save her family, he must have wanted to help her. Why though? He could have avoided this whole mess. 

She would have been lost without him certainly, and admitting such a dependence was a little embarrassing for an otherwise independent woman. Still, Mira found herself wondering what Tom had to gain from helping her? She had offered nothing to him, and now the only reward she could give him was her heart. A crazy thought, given how she had denied any romantic attractions to him or anyone else for months, even with Sera’s knowing grins when she had mentioned the coal boy in secrecy.

Mira couldn’t stop the blush spreading over her cheeks when she thought back to the time Sera saw them together. How they were hiding a murder and yet Sera thought it was as simple as an affair! If only they _could_ have such a domestic life instead of the lies and hiding. 

Oh what was she thinking? Mira knew she liked him, the nature of her feelings having dawned on her when seeing him after he had risked everything to let the horses out and save her, she just couldn’t believe he really liked her back. She wasn’t his key to a higher social standing, especially when he had helped her hide a body. It seemed to her that looking back on all her interactions with the coal boy, he had always been eager to help her. Was she just an adventure to his boring day to day living? Surely there were safer methods of entertainment?

“Tom?”

“Yes, Lady Mira?”

“Just Mira- why did you save me?”

Tom looked confused, startled even at her question, after all they had been sitting without speaking, just listening to the birds chirp. “I’ve already said, Mira, I promised to keep you safe-”

“No, no, I understand that, but...but to do what you did, to stop an execution, you could have been killed!” Mira cried out, twisting her torso to face him head on. She grabbed onto his arm without thinking about the improperness of it, emphasizing the panic, the severity of the situation he had willingly put himself into just for her sake. 

The coal boy looked between her face, the way her eyebrows knitted together and her lips pursed, and then to her hands gripping his arm like it was the only thing that anchored her to reality. “You would have been worth it. I have put myself on the line more than once for you, I see no reason for now to be any different.” He pointed out, placing his hand on top of hers and slowly loosening her grip until he was able to lace their fingers together.

Tom’s answer only furthered Mira’s confusion. He had been there the entire time, hell, he had even been helping, that much she knew. But the full reality of how much he had really been helping was starting to settle in, leaving Mira to wonder how much of the past few months of successfully avoiding the guards up until recently had been because of his assistance. And all under Tom’s guise that she was “worth it,” whatever that meant. 

“Do you love me, Tom?” 

Tom stuttered out a nervous laugh, taking his hands back to sit them in his lap. He didn’t look up at her, but Mira had her answer just by the way he shied away. 

She smiled, knowing and satisfied.

“Will you come with me?” Mira asked, changing the directness of her question. Though she was sure of his love, she wanted a confirmation. But if he had followed her this far, why would it change now that they were free together? 

“Of course, I can’t very well go back to the capital. I can escort you to River Gate, and from there you will be safe.” Tom looked back up at her, misunderstanding what she wanted from him.

“Not just to River Gate-come with me Tom, back to Ironrath. You are no safer here than I, if you come with me we can be free of this place, of the Lannister guards, of the accusations against us.”

He smiled back at her this time, something so filled with hope that Mira was thankful to see. Since this whole ordeal with her family began, hope felt suffocating, but with Tom it was promising. 

“Please, Tom. Come with me.”

“Anything for you, my lady.” 

At that Mira laughed, playfully correcting with him with a “just Mira” before she sank back to the tree. She turned her head to him, her hair catching on the bark of the trunk. Even with her hair a mess, twigs tangled in the twisted braid pinning her hair up and bangs falling free around her face, she was divine. Her lips looked so plush, and the redness was finally beginning to fade from her heated cheeks.

“Would it be too bold to ask if I may kiss you?” Tom wondered aloud, fidgeting with his fingers again in case she denied him. He might have admitted by proxy to his love, but she hadn’t technically responded back with hers. Mira could very well still be acting out of pity, and Tom’s social status as a coal boy kept reminding him she was above him. Even now, as outlaws to the crown she was superior-

Mira cut Tom’s self-deprecating thoughts when she leaned in for the second time that day. Every ounce of uncertainty faded from his being with the kiss. His cares were forgotten for just a moment, and he felt truly honored to have met Just Mira, and to know she wanted him to follow her the rest of the way. She might have just been kind, maybe even pitied him at first, but now, he knew she loved him too.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me at pyrogavinofree.tumblr.com


End file.
